Three's (not) A Crowd
by Sydella
Summary: Tsuna sorts out his relationships with Haru and Kyoko once and for all.


It's a lovely summer day when Tsuna tells Haru that he's going away for a while.

"Mafia school," Tsuna says by way of explanation. He glances at her out of the corner of his eye, hoping to gauge her reaction.

"Oh." Her tone and facial expression are both carefully neutral. "I see."

He reaches out a hand, wanting to touch her, but then thinks better of it and settles back into an uncomfortable kneeling position. They gaze at each other for about a minute or so. Haru is the first to break the silence.

"Well," and here she smiles, though his Intuition can see through to the lie beneath the upturn of her lips, "we can always Skype, or chat on Facebook…or something…" Her voice trails off.

Tsuna forces himself to smile back. "Yeah. We can do that."

Haru nods. Another tense silence ensues, and then Tsuna gets to his feet, pretending to adjust the lapels of his uniform shirt so he won't have to look at her. "Well, I'll see you around."

Haru says nothing in response and just nods again. A gust of wind helpfully blows the nearest door open and Tsuna makes a graceful exit, telling himself not to look back.

He leaves the first girl he ever befriended behind, sitting alone amongst the concrete of the school rooftop.

X

Later that same day, he finds Kyoko in the girls' locker room. Strictly speaking, he's not supposed to be here-mixed-gender interactions are largely frowned upon in Hibari's conservative school-but Hibari himself has given Tsuna leeway.

Tsuna steels himself and tells Kyoko about his impending departure. He sounds much calmer than he feels. When he's done, Kyoko looks down at the tiled floor and twists her hands in her lap.

"I…see," is all she says.

"I'll call you every day," Tsuna says, but the words sound weak to his own ears. _Herbivorous_ , as Hibari would say.

Kyoko smiles wanly. "It's not quite the same."

"Um, yeah. You have a point." Tsuna scratches his head sheepishly. He tries to think of something else to say. Fortunately, Kyoko doesn't expect him to.

"Tsuna?" she murmurs, turning those beseeching doe eyes of hers on him.

He gives a start, his stomach churning in a strange combination of anticipation and dread. "Yeah?"

She twists her hands in her lap again and takes a deep breath. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you. I-"

With characteristic bad timing, Ryohei chooses that exact moment to barge in. "There you are, Kyoko! I've been extremely looking all over for you! Oh, hello there, Sawada."

Tsuna nods at him. "Where are the others?"

Ryohei shrugs. "I think Yamamoto's still at baseball practice. Stupidera said something about going home early to finish packing for the, um, you know."

Kyoko looks up at him. "You don't have to hide it from me, older brother. Tsuna-kun just told me about mafia school."

"He did? I mean, of course you did, Sawada!" Ryohei laughs nervously and rubs the back of his neck.

Just then, Hibari walks past, catches sight of them and glowers at Ryohei. "The small animal has special permission to enter this area. You, on the other hand, do not."

"Now, now." Ryohei tries to cajole the irritable Cloud Guardian. "I was just looking for Kyoko. She's my little sister, remember? It's not like I'm doing anything wrong."

Hibari's eyes narrow. "Out. Now."

"Fine," Ryohei mutters, and hurries out of the room. Hibari gives Tsuna a meaningful glance and begins to close the door.

"Wait!" Tsuna leaps up. "I was just leaving."

Hibari raises an eyebrow. "You were?"

Tsuna nods. He can't bring himself to look at Kyoko. "I was."

His Cloud watches him for a few moments, then shrugs and steps aside. "Suit yourself."

He leaves the first girl he ever loved behind, sitting alone amongst the rows of gleaming metallic lockers.

X

At Mafia Accademia, Tsuna is glad that he no longer has to deal with Namimori's bullies. He has actually gotten better at standing up to the bullies and handing their asses to them over time, but sometimes he just wants to study for tests and hang out with his Guardians. Here at his new school, he has more freedom, and less annoying people to endure.

That's not to say he doesn't still have a steaming pile of crap on his plate. From his very first day at mafia school, Tsuna fends off dozens of assassination attempts, all while trying to maintain a passing grade in algebra. He is so preoccupied that when both Haru and Kyoko call him at the exact same time, he nearly drops his cell phone.

"Hello?" he says cautiously.

"Hi!" The girls trill in unison. They sound happy-perhaps a little _too_ happy. Tsuna grimaces and puts a hand to his forehead, his thoughts moving sluggishly. It's been a long day and the aspirin Gokudera gave him isn't helping.

"Is something wrong?" he asks.

"Nothing is wrong, Tsuna-kun!" Kyoko's already high-pitched voice somehow manages to rise an octave. He can easily imagine the distressed look on her face and mentally kicks himself for upsetting her.

"We just wanted to check in on you," Haru adds. Not for the first time, Tsuna is struck by how much the two girls think along the same wavelength. Yet, at the same time, they retain their individuality. Haru speaks more firmly than Kyoko, but somehow Tsuna knows that Kyoko is the one holding both girls together.

"Well, I'm doing all right," he tells them, again sounding calmer than he feels.

There's a short silence at the other end. Tsuna frowns. "Hello? Are you both still there?"

"Oh, yes!" Haru lets out a nervous giggle. "Um, Tsuna-san, I think you should know that we're coming to see you."

"What?!" Tsuna holds the phone away from his ear and stares at it, then activates the speaker mode so that his Guardians (who have not so secretly been eavesdropping) can hear what the girls have to say. "Did you just say that you're coming to see me? In…in _person?_ "

"Yes." The forced cheer dissipates from Kyoko's voice and now she sounds genuinely happy. "We're on our way right now, in a CEDEF vehicle."

Tsuna feels his temples beginning to throb. He is definitely going to have a word with his father about this. "What time will you arrive?"

"Oh, let me see…" The sound of rustling papers reaches Tsuna's ears. "It says right here that the journey from CEDEF to your school takes three and a half hours, and we've already been on the road for three hours. So I guess we'll be there in half an hour."

"We wanted to surprise you," Haru hastily interjects.

"Uh, okay." This time, Tsuna really does drop his cell phone. His Guardians briefly compete to retrieve it for him; Mukuro wins and hands it to him with an unreadable expression. Is it just Tsuna's imagination, or is there a mischievous twinkle in his male Mist's eyes?

"See you soon!" Kyoko says happily.

"I can't wait," Haru gushes.

"Right. Bye." Tsuna hangs up and turns to face his Guardians. "How could this be happening?" he half-whispers, more to himself than to them.

"Don't you want to see them?" his female Mist asks, tilting her head. Chrome's expression gives nothing away, but her uncovered eye reflects the cunning gleam in Mukuro's gaze.

Tsuna is at a loss for words. He _does_ want to see the girls, of course he does. At the same time, he just… "I just want them to have a normal life," he says lamely.

"Do you?" Hibari, who has dropped by to lecture Tsuna about contacting him during school hours, now yawns as he stretches out languidly on a couch. "They are already involved with the Mafia, whether they like it or not."

Tsuna pouts. "I know, but after everything we went through in that future, I want them to be safe. At least they weren't involved in the battles against the Simon and the Vindice. It's in their best interest to stay away from the Mafia."

"And who are to you to decide what is in other people's best interest, Sawada Tsunayoshi?" Mukuro replies, unsmiling. The illusionist looks at Tsuna in a way that teeters oddly between affection and dislike. "Haru Miura and Kyoko Sasagawa made a choice long ago, and since you care for them, it shouldn't be this hard for you to respect their choice."

"But-" Tsuna splutters.

Mukuro watches him with a faint smile. "But what?"

Tsuna sighs impatiently. "Okay. I'll go and greet them." His Guardians dutifully make way for him as he rushes away.

Chrome fingers her trident, lost in thought. "For all his reluctance, Boss seems very eager to see Haru-chan and Kyoko-chan again," she remarks absently.

Mukuro smiles indulgently and pats her head. "But of course, my sweet Chrome. But of course."

X

"Tsuna-san!" Haru wails, launching herself out of Iemitsu's favourite car and towards him. Kyoko follows her at a more sedate pace.

Tsuna awkwardly returns Haru's hug. "There, there. We've only been apart for two months."

"No, we've been apart for _eternity_!" Haru proclaims dramatically. "Star-crossed lovers, reunited at long last!"

"If you say so, Haru-chan." Tsuna gently disengages himself from her embrace and looks at Kyoko. "How are you?"

Kyoko smiles, walks up to him, and also gives him a hug. "I'm very well, thank you."

Tsuna stands rooted to the spot, shocked. The girl he has had a crush on since reaching puberty, is HUGGING him?! It's too good to be true. Over Kyoko's shoulder, Haru is watching them with the air of a voyeur.

"You two look so cute together," the ponytailed girl says, holding up a camera. Tsuna narrows his eyes as the flash goes off.

 _What's going on?_

"Come on, Tsuna-kun. I want to see your new school." Kyoko tugs on his shirtsleeve.

"Okay." Tsuna leads the two girls inside the building. Haru positions herself at his left and Kyoko at his right. Like a one-minded, six-legged creature, they amble around the school perfectly in sync as he explains the layout of the building to them. Hibari emerges from the boys' dormitory, smirks at Tsuna and jumps out a window, nimbly landing on top of a waiting helicopter.

"Be brave, small animal," the Cloud Guardian calls out, raising his voice to be heard over the rotor blades. "All's fair in love and war!" And with that, the helicopter whirs away, presumably heading back to Namimori.

"Did Hibari-san just quote Shakespeare to me?" Tsuna is stunned.

Haru shrugs. "Maybe it's Ryohei-kun's influence."

"My older brother can be very romantic," Kyoko agrees, nodding.

"Really? Huh." Tsuna ponders this revelation. "Well, I guess that explains why he's dating Kurokawa-san."

"I'm sure you can also be romantic, Tsuna-kun." Kyoko smiles sweetly at him.

He blushes and almost trips down a flight of stairs. "Yeah! I mean no! I mean…"

Kyoko and Haru look at each other. Then, without warning, they drag him into an empty room and close the door behind them.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he stammers as the two girls advance towards him.

"Tsuna-kun, how do you feel about us?" Kyoko has never looked more serious.

"Yes, Tsuna-san." Haru perches on a stack of boxes. "Please tell us."

Tsuna has been backed into a corner-literally. There's nowhere else to go, trapped as he is in this small, airless room. "Um…"

Kyoko curls an arm around his waist. "Don't worry, Tsuna-kun. We won't get mad."

"I really don't know." Tsuna looks away. "I feel so conflicted. It's not good for you two to be involved with the Mafia, and I may have to marry a girl from one of the Vongola's allied families."

"Is that what you want?" Haru purses her lips. "You are going to be Vongola Tenth, aren't you? That means no one can tell you what to do or whom to marry."

"Well, yeah, but-"

"No buts, Tsuna-kun." Coming from a less sweet-tempered girl, Kyoko's words would be dripping with venom. "Please be honest with us. Even more importantly, please be honest with yourself."

Haru nods vigorously. "It's about time we figure this out."

Tsuna swallowed hard. "But what _is_ this? I mean, what are we? Friends with benefits?"

Kyoko grimaces. "Let's not give people the wrong idea."

"We don't have to label our relationship." Haru folds her arms and hunches over, as if she's trying to hug herself. "What matters is that we honestly talk about our feelings. As long as all three of us love each other, nothing else matters. Well, nothing else matters except the Vongola."

"Okay. I can live with that." Tsuna exhales.

Kyoko looks at him intently. "You haven't answered our question."

"I love you." Tsuna steadily gazes back at her, then turns to face Haru. "And I love _you_ too."

The three of them grin at each other uncertainly, blushing furiously.

"Well, that settles everything!" Haru says happily.

"Who's going to bear Tsuna-kun's children, though?" Kyoko asks pensively. "Is polygamy legal in Italy?"

"Don't sweat it." Tsuna hugs her and bends down to kiss Haru's cheek. "I'll figure something out."

X

In an open field, a boy runs around squealing excitedly. Kyoko chases after the boy, long orange hair flying. Haru and Tsuna watch with fond smiles as Kyoko catches up to the boy, swings him in the air and carries him back to his father. Haru tenderly rubs her swollen belly as they walk back to Vongola headquarters and discuss possibilities for the new baby's name.

It's summer again.


End file.
